Houston has won five of their last six
Javier impresses again, Astros shutout Mariners for another win
Apr 27, 2021, 9:52 pm
Houston has won five of their last six
After starting this four-game series with a win in the opener Monday night, the Astros tried to continue their recent momentum to take game two on Tuesday night with Cristian Javier on the mound and their full-powered lineup back intact. They would get a great start from Javier and enough offense to back him up, resulting in the win.
Final Score: Astros 2, Mariners 0
Astros' Record: 12-11, fourth in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Cristian Javier (3-0)
Losing Pitcher: Marco Gonzales (1-3)
Cristian Javier once again impressed on the mound, similar to his last start, but this time going deeper into the game. He would allow just two hits, a single in the top of the first and double in the fourth, along with three walks, otherwise holding the Mariners at bay and off the board for seven complete innings, earning him a quality start. His final line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K, 107 P.
17 consecutive scoreless innings. ☕️#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/PZrIR6LEkt
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 28, 2021
That would put Javier in line for the win, thanks to his offense getting a couple of runs in the bottom of the fourth. After being held without a hit to that point, Michael Brantley led off with a single, moved to third on a double by Alex Bregman, then scored on a sac fly by Yordan Alvarez. Bregman would later score on an RBI infield single by Kyle tucker, giving Houston the 2-0 lead they would hold through Javier's start.
Brooks Raley would take over in the top of the eighth, posting a 1-2-3 inning with a couple of strikeouts to maintain the two-run lead. Still 2-0 in the top of the ninth, Ryan Pressly would come in to attempt his third save of the season. He would convert it, improving Houston to 5-1 over their last six and giving them a chance to lock up a series win on Wednesday.
Up Next: Game three of this series will be another 7:10 PM start on Wednesday. Zack Greinke (2-1, 2.76 ERA) will try to get his third win of the season for the Astros, going opposite of Justin Dunn (1-0, 3.68 ERA) for the Mariners.
One of the main areas of improvement for the Texans this season, has been the running game with the addition of Joe Mixon.
Mixon rushed for 100 yards or more in 5 of his first 6 games with the team. But unfortunately for Houston, Mixon hasn't been nearly as effective recently.
When looking at his recent numbers, Mixon has failed to rush for more than 46 yards in 3 of his last 5 games. Posting only 26 rushing yards against Miami on Sunday.
With this in mind, is the state of Houston's run game a major concern, especially when the playoffs begin?
Don't miss the video above as ESPN Houston's Joel Blank and special guest Barry Laminack share their thoughts.